Microsoft has revealed the reason for its joint announcement of the Xbox One S and Project Scorpio.

Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft's Xbox division, laid out the company's intentions regarding the dual-hardware announcement bonanza at this year's E3, in an interview with The Guardian.

Unlike its rival Sony, Microsoft's show was highly console-focused: the company announced a slimmer, more powerful version of the Xbox known as the Xbox One S, as well as Project Scorpio, an even more powerful console capable of native 4K gaming.

According to Spencer, both new devices are integral to the company's planned interruption of the seven-year console cycle. Microsoft wants older games to remain relevant, and playable, once the new generation arrives. Going forward, the company is seeking a unification of its many platforms, including the PC, allowing gamers to hop easily between devices and retain their collection of titles.

"Our commitment is to make sure every single game and every single accessory works across all of those platforms," he told The Guardian of Xbox One, One S and Project Scorpio. The new strategy is, according to Spencer, one taken from the smartphone sector, where customers demand a greater degree of flexibility.

"The consumer expectation is: games and apps had better work even if I upgrade. We're looking at the console business and asking how do we provide that choice to users? It resonates with them because other devices are doing that."

This open thinking also extends to Microsoft's attitude toward cross-platform play. Spencer wants to see players hopping between PC and Xbox, a feature which will soon be arriving in the form of Xbox Play Anywhere. Though he acknowledges that merging both platforms completely would be disastrous.

"I bristle at the idea we're bringing the platforms 'together'. It's not that I'm trying to turn PC gamers into console gamers or console gamers into PC gamers. We just know, and I'm sure you're tracking it, the health of PC gaming is incredibly high right now, and we know some of our best and most active customers on Xbox One are also PC gamers."

By allowing gamers to purchase one product and play on either PC or Xbox, Microsoft's gaming environment will sport a distinct edge over Sony's in terms of flexibility. Whether this will be enough to redress the advantage that the PlayStation 4 has enjoyed for three years remains to be seen.

Microsoft is clutching at what can distinguish itself from its rivals, and it seems that the company is sourcing much of that inspiration from the openness of the PC. "There are now games like Rocket League, where I can play against people on a different platform. That is one of the ideas that people have definitely been thinking through." Of course, in order for PS4 Xbox One cross-play to be a regular occurrence, Sony has to play ball, which the company is unlikely to do from atop its current throne.

There will undoubtedly be more developments as the year draws on. According to Amazon, the Xbox One S will ship in August. Consumers are going to have to wait a lot longer for Project Scorpio, which is currently rumoured to release on Christmas 2017.